A lossless audio format is a type of digital audio file that compresses sound without losing any quality. This means that when the audio is played back, it sounds exactly like the original recording. Common lossless formats include FLAC, ALAC, and WAV. These formats are popular among audiophiles and music producers who want to preserve the full fidelity of their recordings. Unlike lossy formats, such as MP3 or AAC, which discard some audio data to reduce file size, lossless formats maintain all the original information. This results in larger file sizes, but the trade-off is a richer listening experience. Lossless audio is ideal for high-quality music playback and archiving.